The New Economic Policy

War Communism Name given to harsh economic measures Bolsheviks adopted during Civil War Two main aims: Put communist theories into practice by redistributing wealth among Russians Keep towns & ‘Red’ army supplied Specifics: all large factories controlled by gov’t Production planned & organized by gov’t Strict worker discipline, strikers shot Peasants forced to give up food to gov’t or face firing squad Free enterprise outlawed – all production & trade controlled by state

Name given to harsh economic measures Bolsheviks adopted during Civil War

Two main aims:

Put communist theories into practice by redistributing wealth among Russians

Keep towns & ‘Red’ army supplied

Specifics:

all large factories controlled by gov’t

Production planned & organized by gov’t

Strict worker discipline, strikers shot

Peasants forced to give up food to gov’t or face firing squad

Free enterprise outlawed – all production & trade controlled by state

War Communism War Communism won war but at great cost Peasants refused to grow more food Food shortages & bad weather meant famine (1920-1921) Approx. 7 million died Cannibalism Bolshevik policies sparked mutiny @ Kronstadt Naval Base T’s troops put down rebellion L abandoned War Communism Doesn’t it sound odd that L would abandon policy because of a naval base revolt? Why might he do this? Kronstadt sailors among strongest supporters of Lenin & Bolshevism

War Communism won war but at great cost

Peasants refused to grow more food

Food shortages & bad weather meant famine (1920-1921)

Approx. 7 million died

Cannibalism

Bolshevik policies sparked mutiny @ Kronstadt Naval Base

T’s troops put down rebellion

L abandoned War Communism

Doesn’t it sound odd that L would abandon policy because of a naval base revolt? Why might he do this?

Kronstadt sailors among strongest supporters of Lenin & Bolshevism

New Economic Policy 1,000s of Kronstadt sailors killed L recognized change was needed March 1921: Party Congress L announced N ew E conomic P olicy (NEP) Effectively brought back capitalism to some sectors of Russian economy Peasants could sell surplus grain after gov’t takes 50% Small factories handed back to private ownership Private trading of small goods allowed

1,000s of Kronstadt sailors killed

L recognized change was needed

March 1921: Party Congress L announced N ew E conomic P olicy (NEP)

Effectively brought back capitalism to some sectors of Russian economy

Peasants could sell surplus grain after gov’t takes 50%

Small factories handed back to private ownership

Private trading of small goods allowed

New Economic Policy L made clear NEP was temporary Heavy industries (coal, oil, iron, steel) kept in state hands Bolsheviks horrified, seeing betrayal of Marxist ideology for capitalism L won debate, starting NEP in 1921

L made clear NEP was temporary

Heavy industries (coal, oil, iron, steel) kept in state hands

Bolsheviks horrified, seeing betrayal of Marxist ideology for capitalism

L won debate, starting NEP in 1921

New Economic Policy War Communism Grows Gov’t takes all surplus Left with 10 tons 9 tons 1 ton Grows Gov’t takes none Left with 1 ton 1 ton Grows Gov’t takes 50% Left with 1 ton 1/2 ton 1/2 ton Grows Gov’t takes 50% Left with Peasant sells New Economic Policy 10 tons 5 tons 4 tons 1 ton + cash

New Economic Policy

The Death of Lenin & the Creation of the USSR 1922: L suffers several strokes 1923: massive stroke paralyzes L Jan 1924: Lenin dies A Remarkable man: Led (R) through rev & civil war 1923 supervised constitution turning Russian Empire into Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Lenin did more than any other political leader to change the face of the 20 th century world. The creation of Soviet Russia and its survival were due to him. He was a very great man and even, despite his faults, a very good man. Historian AJP Taylor, writing in the 1960s

1922: L suffers several strokes

1923: massive stroke paralyzes L

Jan 1924: Lenin dies

A Remarkable man:

Led (R) through rev & civil war

1923 supervised constitution turning Russian Empire into Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Lenin did more than any other political leader to change the face of the 20 th century world. The creation of Soviet Russia and its survival were due to him. He was a very great man and even, despite his faults, a very good man.

Historian AJP Taylor, writing in the 1960s

What May Have Been? We will never know what policies Lenin would have pursued if he had lived longer – he certainly left no clear plans about how long he wanted the NEP to last. He also left another big question behind him: Who was to be the next leader of the USSR?

We will never know what policies Lenin would have pursued if he had lived longer – he certainly left no clear plans about how long he wanted the NEP to last. He also left another big question behind him:

Who was to be the next leader of the USSR?

Focus Task: How did the Bolsheviks consolidate power? It is January 1924. Lenin is dead. Your task is to look back at the measures he used to consolidate Bolshevik rule. Draw a timeline from 1917 to 1924 and mark on it the events of that period mentioned in your notes Mark on the timeline: One moment at which you think Bolshevik rule was most threatened One moment at which you think it was most secure Write an explanation of how the Bolsheviks made their rule more secure. Mention the following: The power of the Red Army Treatment of opposition War Communism The NEP The treaty of Brest-Litovsk Victory on the Civil War The promise of a new society Propaganda Is any one of these factors more important than any of the others? Explain.

It is January 1924. Lenin is dead. Your task is to look back at the measures he used to consolidate Bolshevik rule.

Draw a timeline from 1917 to 1924 and mark on it the events of that period mentioned in your notes

Mark on the timeline:

One moment at which you think Bolshevik rule was most threatened

One moment at which you think it was most secure

Write an explanation of how the Bolsheviks made their rule more secure. Mention the following:

The power of the Red Army

Treatment of opposition

War Communism

The NEP

The treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Victory on the Civil War

The promise of a new society

Propaganda

Is any one of these factors more important than any of the others? Explain.

Fin

PSDs on War Communism The nature of the Bolsheviks’ radical economic policies is a matter of controversy. The name usually give them, ‘War Communism’, is wrong on several counts … the term “War Communism’ was first used – in Lenin’s notes – only in 1921. It suggests that the policy was a wartime stopgap … My view is that while the civil war deepened an existing crisis, the economic policies later called War Communism – food detachments, nationalization of industry, restrictions of trade – had been developing … since the early winter of 1917 – 1918. There was no ‘normal’ period followed by a crisis. Historian Evan Mawdsley’s views on War Communism After carrying out the October Revolution, the working classes hoped for freedom. But the result has been greater slavery. The bayonets, bullets and harsh commands of the Checka – these are what the working man of Soviet Russia has won. The glorious emblem of the workers’ state – the hammer and sickle – has been replaced by the Communist authorities with the bayonet and the barred window. Here in Kronstadt we are making a third revolution which will free the workers and the Soviets from the Communists Official statement from the Kronstadt sailors

The nature of the Bolsheviks’ radical economic policies is a matter of controversy. The name usually give them, ‘War Communism’, is wrong on several counts … the term “War Communism’ was first used – in Lenin’s notes – only in 1921. It suggests that the policy was a wartime stopgap … My view is that while the civil war deepened an existing crisis, the economic policies later called War Communism – food detachments, nationalization of industry, restrictions of trade – had been developing … since the early winter of 1917 – 1918. There was no ‘normal’ period followed by a crisis.

Historian Evan Mawdsley’s views on War Communism

After carrying out the October Revolution, the working classes hoped for freedom. But the result has been greater slavery. The bayonets, bullets and harsh commands of the Checka – these are what the working man of Soviet Russia has won. The glorious emblem of the workers’ state – the hammer and sickle – has been replaced by the Communist authorities with the bayonet and the barred window. Here in Kronstadt we are making a third revolution which will free the workers and the Soviets from the Communists

Official statement from the Kronstadt sailors

PSDs on NEP Our poverty and ruin are so great that we cannot at one stroke restore large-scale socialist production … we must try to satisfy the demands of the peasants who are dissatisfied, discontented and cannot be otherwise … there must be a certain amount of freedom to trade, freedom for the small private owner. We are now retreating, but we are doing this so as to then run and leap forward more vigorously. Lenin, introducing the NEP at the Party Congress, 1921 Poor, starving old Russia, Russia of primitive lighting and the meal of a crust of black bread, is going to be covered by a network of electric power stations. The NEP will transform the Russian economy and rebuild a broken nation. The future is endless and beautiful. Bukharin, speaking in 1922, leading Bolshevik & strong supporter of NEP In 1925 the Soviet Commissar for Finance admitted that the pay of miners, metal workers and engine drivers was still lower than it had been before 1914. This in turn meant that workers’ housing and food were poor. The factory committee of a cement works in Smolensk reported, for example, in 1929: ‘Every day there are many complaints about apartments: many workers have families of six and seven people, and live in one room. Some problems identified by Soviet observers in the 1920s

Our poverty and ruin are so great that we cannot at one stroke restore large-scale socialist production … we must try to satisfy the demands of the peasants who are dissatisfied, discontented and cannot be otherwise … there must be a certain amount of freedom to trade, freedom for the small private owner. We are now retreating, but we are doing this so as to then run and leap forward more vigorously.

Lenin, introducing the NEP at the Party Congress, 1921

Poor, starving old Russia, Russia of primitive lighting and the meal of a crust of black bread, is going to be covered by a network of electric power stations. The NEP will transform the Russian economy and rebuild a broken nation. The future is endless and beautiful.

Bukharin, speaking in 1922, leading Bolshevik & strong supporter of NEP

In 1925 the Soviet Commissar for Finance admitted that the pay of miners, metal workers and engine drivers was still lower than it had been before 1914. This in turn meant that workers’ housing and food were poor. The factory committee of a cement works in Smolensk reported, for example, in 1929: ‘Every day there are many complaints about apartments: many workers have families of six and seven people, and live in one room.

Some problems identified by Soviet observers in the 1920s